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24-Apr-2007
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Arch Hellen Med, 23(6), November-December 2006, 603-614 HEALTH ECONOMICS A management approach for the public healthcare sector based on user expectations P.A. KOSTAGIOLAS,1 H.G. PLATIS,2 S. ZIMERAS3 |
Service quality is an important issue for the healthcare sector. Current approaches within the quality management paradigm extent beyond the internal aspects of the organization, to include user expectations. The research hypothesis examined in this paper is stated as follows: "The Public Healthcare System may benefit from the application of a management framework which incorporates user expectations." A literature review of the application of Service Quality (SERVQUAL) methodology within the healthcare sector is presented with emphasis on the "GAP 5" analysis. Through qualitative analysis, a holistic structural model, which encompasses information feedback from the user, is developed. The model is designed especially for the public healthcare sector and it is referred here as "PATIENTQUAL". The proposed conceptual model may aid both healthcare providers and authorities by introducing functions interrelating quality management with user expectations, through the introduction of the innovative concept of "Expectations Management".
Key words: Expectations management, Healthcare service, Quality management, Service quality, SERVQUAL.
